Another rare, historical gem from KRS-One and the BDP crew that I stumbled across on YouTube yesterday. This rare tape with original handdrawn artwork and inserts were given away at Boogie Down Production's first Japanese tour in the very early '90s. Since they had the tape prepared and done by then my guess was that this featured recordings from US shows but at least one track you can hear Kris shout out Japan so it's most likely a Japanese recording as welll.
The rare cassette features two sides (Duh); one being KRS freestyling and strictly going in over classic, and some more obscure, ragga flavored joints while the B-side is labeled the "Hip Hop Side" and (you gussed it) instead features Kris on more traditional breaks and beats. Well worth a listen, and ahuge thank you goes out to YouTube uploader FITTY for allowing us all to hear this forgotten document of one of the best "groups" hip-hop has ever witnessed.
If you follow Hip Hop news you and especially The Star Chamber you know that he's driving a campaign against Afrika Bambaata based on the multiple ocassions on child molestations that has come to light and there's no doubt in my mind that Bam should be punished for this, and that his legacy will forever be tarnished. However, KRS-One was asked about his thoughts about this on N.O.R.E.'s recent podcast, and though his comments was hardly well thought out or well put together, it has been twisted to say that he meant that he is down with pedophilia and child abuse. What he did say was that as far as Hip-Hop goes, you can never change the legacy of hip-hop - whether or not the allegations turn out to be true, Afrika Bambaata has been such an integral part of the culture that no matter what his legacy will stand firm. His choice of wording was very poor and his comments was in very poor taste, but for the hip-hop community to turn his back on KRS for a stupid comment doesn't sit welll with me. He is one of the innovators, oen of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time and his discography is timeless. Now the P.K. mafia is digging up classic BDP joints like "13 & Good", taken from the 5/5 concept album "Sex & Violence" (which to this day still holds up as one of my three favorite KRS/BDP albums OF ALL TIME).
So far from boycotting KRS I'm hooking you up with a rare VHS of Boogie Down Productions performing in NYC in 1990, featuring D-Nice, Ms. Melodie, Kid Capri, Harmony and even the late Heavy D. The interview segments are interspersed with dialouge, interviews and clips of the crew hanging around. This was released in 1991 on VHS tape and is a true historial document. I believe that this is the video portion of the same concert that made up the "Live Hardcore Worldwide" LP but I am not entirely certain since it been years I listened to that LP (not a favorite of mine at all as live hip-hop albums, as opposed to jazz, are a drag unless the name of the group happens to be The Roots). All praises due to uploader Alan-Proctor Thompson.
Oh yes, I know I'm late as fruck on this one but KRS-One is one of my favorite emcees in if just one head missed this when it dropped about 1.5 weeks ago then I'm happy. Despite this being a verse and a hook over the same beat Swizz Beatz recently gave to Styles P for his single "Jason" this is truly excellence right here, and it's shit like this that can restore my faith in Hip Hop. It's called "Jason Remix" and clocks in at just under two minutes, but what a blazing two mintues that is! Unlike some of KRS's so-so material over the years, not to mention Swizz Beats even more so so-so material, I didn't have that high hopes but I know that when they both bring their A game absolute magic can happen, and that is exactly what happened here. Over a very raw, stripped down/minimalist approach wit 808 type of drums and a repetitive bassline the beat sounds tailor made for KRS. And not the KRS One of today, but for BDP. You got the political verse and the hook proudly exclaims over and over again "BDP POSSE, D-BLOCK POSSE, RUFF RYDERS POSSE". I would love a new BDP album with this type of sound - BRING IT ON KRIS!
You got to love KRS-One, at times he can be relatively quiet music wise for a couple of years then he can just hit stride and drop album after album (of course of varying quality). I was actually just wondering when Kris was about to drop something recently and then a couple of days ago he hit us with "Drugs Won" which I thought was pretty dope. Now he's back with a new single as well as the announcement of a new LP called "Now Hear This" which is dropping on November 24. The second single is titled "Sound Man" and is produced by DJ Static. Check it out, and read more @ the official Bandcamp.
KRS-One is obviously one of my favorite emcees although it can at times go a year in between I bump his albums despite the high regard I held them in. But you really have to be in a certain mode to truly enjoy KRS' truth filled and high energetic murderous boom bap, but once you're in that zone there's not much better ish out there. Here the Blastmaster is back with a brand new strong, speaking on the drug game and the extreme profits it can make for anyone involved, especially for those in the higher echelon of the dirty business. Produced by Predator Prime, it will be interesting to see where this joint might end up... Reminds me a bit of "Criminal Business" 2015. I can dig it!
Such a sick single! KRS-One grabs Andre The Giant and Tragedy Khadafi for a lyrical extravaganza with a lot of meaning behind it. I'm not sure what project this joint will appear on but it's definitely a real banger so be sure to check it out right now.
You know I'm a sucker for classic KRS-One and BDP so this demo called "Late Night" that Kenny Parker just unleashed is three minutes of pure boom bap gold. Produced by Parker this is an early take for a song they were developing for "Return Of The Boom Bap", one of the definite albums of the '90s. If you're looking for more classic Boogie Down shit, be sure to check out this full 50 minutes BDP performance from London, 1990.
All of the great producers obviously have tons of incredible sessions that for one reason or never failed to make it into the public sphere. Many of these producers choose to hold on to them with white knuckles so to speak, which is unfortunate. In more recent years we have got to see some previously unknown music from legends like the D.I.T.C. brothers, Omniscence, Natural Elements, Mobb Deep and Masta Ace to name a handful. Domingo has often tried to make sure to put out previously unreleased gems to the people and we know that he's partaken in tons of sessions with some of the rap industries absolute top echelon. Good news then that on February 17 yet another compilation of this type of material is being unveiled in the form of "Sessions N Lessons". So far three singles have been released through Domingo's Soundcloud page. Up top you'll hear the previously unreleased KRS-One track "Look Into The Sky", recorded in 2001 for either "The Sneak Attack" (an album Domingo had a lot more to do with than the printed credits lets on) or "Spiritual Minded". Below you find embedded links to Omar Epps (then known as WolfPack's) 1995 jam "The Eyes Of God" and the knocking Sean Price / Ruste Juxx banger "All Time Great". The limited CD is now up for pre-order via IndieGoGo.com where it's revealed that other artists starring on the album includes Rakim, Channel Live, Kool G Rap and many more.
N.B.S. is an up-and-coming underground act hailing from Boston and consisting of cousins E Flush and Vee Knuckles. I am not familiar with these guys before, but their single "Seven" is really sick, with ill verses set over some true school ish - a concept you really can't go wrong with when it's done right as here. Now the duo is releasing their new EP "Swizzvets" whichfeatures performances by KRS-One, Blaq Poet, Milk, Onyx's Sonny Seeza, I Bilal Firm and R. Muhammad. The two latter appears on the first heavy hitting single from "Swizzvets", with production from JakeBeatz. Watch out for these guys because this is DOPE! If you like what you hear, cop a copy of the album from iTunesfor only $8.99. Stay tuned for more info and more music from these guys!
Grand Surgeon is a Brooklyn based emcee and producer who is currently working on his upcoming album "The Blessing Vol. 1", entirely produced by Big Bob Pattison. Previously two singles have been released, including the KRS-One and Cutty Ranks assisted title song which you can hear below. Now the latest single is here, featuring two of my all time favorite emcees - AG and Tragedy Khadafi, who, as does Grand Surgeon, both does a fantastic job over the hard hitting beat with turntable work from DJ Fastcut. Check it out below and be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for the full album which should be out soon.
In the third episode of super ill producer Mr. Green's Live From The Streets series again makes creative use of street sounds and creates a pretty damn slamming beat which KRS-One and Hakim Greene of Channel Live attacks with venegance - "The Blastmaster"! If you want to go directly to the actual song you can skip to around 4:17.
When Kris is inolved you tou're in a treat for a treat. Prodicuer Big Bob and LD stands for thes´harrdcore sonics while all three ecees get it it in. Rugged to say the least. Nor ´sure where this is is from, but I'm pretty sure we'll hear more from these guys so tay on the lookout.
Back in June 2013 Australian producer Kid Tsunami released his debut album "The Chase" as a digital download distributed by The Orchard and Fat Beats. CD and vinyl were supposed to follow shortly after but that never came to fruition... until now, as Slice-Of-Spice has gained the rights to release a nice 180 gram 2xLP set. Nostalgic fans of true school boom bap will no doubt love Tsu's sample heavy production and the guest cast which includes some of New York's finest emcees to ever do it. We're talking names like OC, Percee P, Jeru The Damaja, AG, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Bahamadia, KRS-One, Pharoahe Monch, and many more. The music is the same as on the original 2013 release (there might be some minor tweaks here and there), but the artwork by Fred Whyte is brand new and is looking a whole lot better, as well as the sequencing which has been switched around to make the LP flow better. The gatefold vinyl of "The Chase" is limited to 500 copies and is available @ Slice Of Spicenow.
As nice as the guys at Slice Of Spice are they are also offering up the newly remastered version of the album not only for full streaming but you can also download all of the individual tracks in HQ Mp3 for free. Also check out the "No Guarantees" single which features banging remixes by Diamond D and DJ Bless. TURN IT UP!!
Between Nas, Rakim and Ghostface Killah, KRS-One has been my favorite emcee for years and his catalouge is definitey no laughing matter. While some of his post 2000 albums have been hit or miss, featuring both wack discs and terrific music, I still always check for Kris' new music either way, and although maybe the majority of his ouput lately has been quite so-so there's also albums such as "Survival Skills", "Kristyles" (the original version) and "Meta-Historical" are all excellent joints proving Kris is still a lyrical beast. Therefore I was quite stunned that Kris One actually released a full-length album in the summer of 2013. Physical copies "Never Forget" was sold exclusively directly by KRS-One during his US and European Tour last year, which explains the very little promotion it received. Since Kris is one of the few of my favorite artists I have yet to see in a live settng (M.O.P. being the otherr), this one flew right over my head until just a couple of weeks ago and I figure that if I missed it, I'm probably not the only one.
Remember back some time ago when KRS released a few singles produced by long-time collaborator Mad Lion which was supposed to drop in 2012 under the title "Just Like That". That album obviously never came to fruition but considering that this new album includes some of those songs (such as "Disaster Kit") I have a feeling that much of those recordings instead ended up on this. While "Never Forget" is far from Kris finet hour, it has its fair share of dope beats, edutainmment lyrics, and 13 cuts of Knowledge Reigns Supreme. Hopefully fans will be able to purchase the project in either stores or digital soon enough, but until then KRS has only uploaded 3 songs (with a bonus track for purchasers) via Bandcamp. Luckily enough we heads are able to hear the entire album through an upload to YouTube by user Shokdreamz who copped the album at one of the show dates of last years KRS-One tour, and he was kind enough to share the album on YouTube for our listening pleasure. Much thanks and props goes out to Shokdreamz for making it possible for heads to hear this gem in full.
In this classic episode of Yo! MTV Raps Fab 5 Freddy visits with Boogie Down Productions (KRS, Kenny Parker, ICU and Willie D). Recorded right around the release of the still (very) underrated "Sex & Violence" album, KRS drops a lot of jewels well worth catching. Around the middle the BDP posse takes the stage over at the Yo! studios and perform an ill live medley. A big shout out goes out to Hip Hop Junkie at YouTube for recording and sharing this video with us all. Also while we're still on BDP and "Sex & Violence", I want to bring back a true classic for y'all. The Ali Shaheed remix of "We In There", which is probably the most hardcore track Ali ever did and also one of the best remixes of all time if you ask me. BDP - "WE IN THERE" [REMIX]
Domingo's is another highly underrated legend coming with a brand new album this year. The East New York producer who has worked with some of the best talent in the game throughout his long career, has rounded up some of the finest talent in the game for his July release "Same Game New Rules". Pre-order and read more about the project @ IndieGoGo.com and TURN THE VOLUME UP LOUD on the three singles released so far; "We Put It Down", up top, features M.O.P., GP100 and DJ Cazz on the wons and too's while "The Return" and "Free" is high powered posse cuts with KRS-One, Chris Rivers, R.A. The Rugged Man and Bamboo, and G Rap, Greg Nice, and KRS again going at it HARD. Phew!
Oh shit, this is probably one of the most legendary line-ups I've seen in a while and when Domingo (with DJ Dister) is behind the machinery you know you got a must-listen to on your hands. Called "Free" this monster of a track will see release on Domingo's "Same Game, New Rules" which drops this July and can be pre-ordered here (which also carries some additional info).
Backed with the right production KRS-One is still one of the absolute best emcees to ever grab a microphone, perhaps even the greatest. Bang your head to his latest single "True School", produced by French born producer DJ Jean Marion. This boom banging track is the first single from Marion's producer driven follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Run MPC" album features a bunch of NY legends going in over Marion's production including Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, M.O.P., Mobb Deep/Big Noyd, Edo G, REKS, and Skyzoo. The album hit retailers on April 29 and can be purchased directly from DJJeanMaron.com or iTunes if digital is more of your thing.
I always felt New York producer Domingo's been a particularly underrated beat slinger despite churning out timeless classics like KRS-One's "The MC", Fat Joe's "Part Deux", Big Pun's "The Dream Shatterer" and many, many others. Good news then that he's got two upcoming projects on the way called "Sessions". Vol 1 in this series features previously unreleased music from The Blastmaster and Channel Live. Check out two singles below; "New York, New York" by KRS-One from 1999 (could this have been created for the original "Maximum Strength" LP?) and Channel Live's "Rethink, Replan, Refine".
NYC emcee Awkword released a very interesting project late this Sunday; unfortunately it hit the net after I had gone to bed due to the dime difference over here, and since I haven't been on The Lost Tapes since then really I haven't been able at all to make any new updates. But better late than never, here's Awkword's anticipated concept album "World View" which featues Awkword and several A-list underground spitters going in over production collected from all over the world. Really interesting stuff, and especially when some of the producers include ATG, Numsonics, Domingo, DJ Fafu, The White Shadows, Tranzformers and many more, while guests include, but not limited to, Chaundon, Sean Price, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Punchline, Beretta 9, Jasiri X, Chino XL, Sha Stimuli, REKS, C-Rayz Walz, Dug Infinite, Mista Lawgne (!), ILLBILL, Slug, and Joell Ortiz. Despite featuring several producers "World View" clearly has a cohessive soun, and comes off as an homage to the Golden Age of true hip-hop. Be sure to check this one out, not least because it's a free digital project, sponsored by the always great DJBooth. TURN IT UP!!
